A sudden road accident near Adoor has ended the long cinematic journey of veteran Malayalam actor Santhosh K Nair, leaving the film industry in deep shock.
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Malayalam film industry woke up to heartbreaking news on Tuesday morning after actor Santhosh K Nair (65) died in a tragic road accident in Kerala. The incident took place near Enathu on the MC Road in Pathanamthitta district, close to Adoor, around 6:30 am.
Santhosh was travelling in a car along with his wife Shubhashree when the vehicle suddenly lost control. In split second, car collided with parcel lorry.
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Locals and emergency responders rushed to the spot and immediately shifted both of them to private hospital in Adoor. Santhosh was critically injured. Doctors tried their best to save him. However, during treatment, he suffered heart attack and passed away.
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His wife Shubhashree also sustained injuries in the accident and is currently under medical care. The lorry driver involved in the collision was also injured and is being treated.
Santhosh K Nair was a familiar presence in Malayalam films for decades. He made his acting debut in 1982 with ‘Ithu Aarti Katha’.
Over the years, he built strong identity through more than 100 films, playing a wide range of roles. He was especially known for his strong screen presence in villain roles and comedy characters.
Apart from films, he was also active in television.
His final on-screen appearance was in the film ‘Bharathanatyam 2: Mohiniyattam (2026)’, directed by Krishnadas Murali.
Beyond films, Santhosh K Nair had a lesser-known but interesting personal connection with superstar Mohanlal. Both were contemporaries at MG College, where they studied during their youth.
Santhosh pursued a BSc in Mathematics, while Mohanlal studied Commerce. Despite being almost the same age, their academic paths briefly shifted when Santhosh left his studies for engineering before returning later to complete his degree. This led to Mohanlal becoming his senior in college records.
In earlier interviews, Santhosh fondly spoke about those days, remembering how life was simple and friendships were strong.
He often recalled how their paths crossed again in the film industry. Interestingly, they sometimes acted in the same films where Santhosh played supporting or negative roles opposite Mohanlal. He once joked in interviews that “life made us classmates first and colleagues later in a completely different world.”
As news of Santhosh Nair’s death spread, many from the Malayalam film industry expressed shock and grief. Among them, actors Rahman and Suraj Venjaramoodu shared emotional messages.
Rahman, through his Instagram post, described Santhosh as more than just a co-actor. He wrote that they grew up together in the industry and often shared screen space, mostly as on-screen rivals.
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He said Santhosh was often his “villain on screen but a kind-hearted friend in real life.” Rahman also recalled their off-camera moments, writing about how they would sit in hotel rooms after shooting, watching TV, sharing food, and laughing without stress.
He added that even though they were not always in constant contact, they would reconnect over calls and remember old days. Rahman said the news left him deeply shaken and offered condolences to the family, ending his message with a heartfelt goodbye.
Suraj Venjaramoodu also expressed his grief in a Malayalam post on Instagram. He said he woke up to the shocking news of Santhosh’s death and was completely devastated.
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Suraj remembered how Santhosh always made people laugh on sets. He shared that their last film together was ‘Mohiniyattam’, and all the memories from that shoot were filled with laughter and warmth.
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